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The family vacations we took with my parents were typically to parks in California. Sequoia, Yosemite, Mammoth, Big Sur, Lake Tahoe. They were simple vacations, all within driving distance. There were eight of us, and we usually stayed in cabins inside the parks, ate in the park concessions, and spent our days hiking or going […]
Last week my mother-in-law Lillian Saiger passed away and the family sat Shiva in Toronto. This time I was not the mourner, but the supporter, and watching from that perspective allowed me to see the beauty and choreography of Shiva. As I sat with my husband, sisters-in-law, and Uncle Dave, I observed the sadness, loss, […]
Our Mishloah Manot arrived on the East Coast today, and though it may be too late to share this recipe in time for your mishloah manot, I promise that these cookies are worth making any time, even after Purim! Preparations began last Sunday morning with a trip to Trader Joe’s to stock up on baking […]
As a child I was frightened of revolving doors, worried that they wouldn’t slow down long enough for me to get out. Eventually I overcame my fear, (I must admit I still don’t like them) but in truth revolving doors are unavoidable, and have become somewhat of a metaphor. People seem to come in and […]
The trip was special in that it began with my daughter-in-law’s graduation from medical school and ended with a wedding of close family friends. In between it went something like this. I took a class in Tai Chi while visiting a friend in New Jersey, and it was all about balance and the ability to […]
My father had a standard response to a certain type of question, and that response was “only the best.” That’s a tall order, and of course the idea of what’s best is very subjective. The statement taught me not to settle for mediocrity. At work I meet with families and often tell them to manage their […]
The Graf brothers all loved nature, the outdoors, and animals. My father would watch shows about the animal kingdom and would tell us stories of the pets he owned growing up in Warka, Poland. A porcupine, really? He was already well into his seventies when he suddenly decided to stop eating chicken and beef, purely […]
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